Brassiere



Aug. 8, 1961 o. ERTESZEK 2,995,133

BRASSIERE Filed Aug. 3, 1959 75 E 0469 EA gz tes This invention has to do with improvements in brassieres, and has for its general object to incorporate in a novel brassiere construction, certain features tending to assure both form-fitting and comfort to the wearer.

The invention is concerned essentially with the distribution of support given the sections or cups of the brassiere, in relation to three primary points or locations of support, namely the interconnection between the sections, and the individual section connections with the back and shoulder straps. In more particular reference to the distribution of support, my object is to accomplish in the manner hereinafter described, peripheral supports for each individual cup at locations given generally uniform spacing as closely as practicable, within the limitations pre sented by the aforementioned three primary points of support.

The invention contemplates accomplishment of these objects by incorporating in the brassiere What may be? regarded as a supporting frame structure composed of an arrangement of tapes, or the equivalent, extended from each back strap section to the top and bottom of the cupped periphery, so as to join with the shoulder strap connection and extend in a generally tangential relation to the bottom of the cup, thus establishing through individual tapes, back strap supports with the cup at diametrically opposed top and bottom locations. By attachment to peripheral tape about the cup, the same strapconnected tapes form intermediate connections at the strap side of the cup, in conformity with the objective of applying the support at peripherally spaced locations. At the opposite side of the cup, the top and bottom of the tapes extend to the interconnection or hinge between the brassiere sections, where they are joineld with a central tape extending between spaced extents of the aforementioned top and bottom tapes. The resulting eifect is to distribute the tension created by Way of an elastic back strap, to the cup periphery at locations so peripherally distributed as to cause the cup proper, including its lining, to conform and comfortably fit snugly to the wearer.

The individual cup construction incorporates the feature of a lower essentially U-shaped lining tape secured, preferably, only at its outer edge, and formed of elastic material having exposed rubber threads which tend to comfortably hold and resist displacement of the cup.

All the various features and objects of the invention, as well as the details of an illustrative embodiment, will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description of the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a view showing the brassiere as worn;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary enlargement showing in greater detail one section with the attached back and shoulder straps;

FIG. 3 is a view looking into the inside of one of the sections; and

FIGS. 4 and 5 are enlarged cross-sections taken respectively on lines 4-4 and 55 of FIG. 3.

The present brassiere has in common with brassieres in general, a pair of sections, generally indicated at 10, each containing a cup 11 and connected at the top by a shoulder strap 12 with the back strap 13, the parts of which are terminally connected to the sections 10.

As previously indicated, the invention is primarily concerned with what may be termed the frame structure of the sections 10, and interconnection at 14, and the distribution of supporting forces applying to this frame Patented Aug. 8, 1961 structure by way of the back and shoulder straps as well as the particular features of the connection at 14.

Each section 10 is peripherally defined by upper and lower tapes 15 and 16, the outer extents 17 and 18 of which converge to their connections at 19 with the-back strap '13. Tapes 15 and 16 converge inwardly at 20 and 21 to spaced apart locations at 14 where the tapes are interconnected by a central tape 22. The cup 11 within each section 10 is peripherally defined by a generally U-shaped tape 23 connected along its bottom extent at 24 to the lower tape 16 and connected at its upper ends 25 and 26 to the tape extents 17 and 21).

One object of the described tape frame structure is to afford a configuration which permits the application of supporting forces to each cup at locations about the cup area which are as uniformly spaced as practicable and great enough in number to assure corresponding uniformity in the cup support and therefore conformability of the cup to the wearer. The primary sources of support are the strap 12 through its connection at 27, the back strap sections 13 with their connections at 19 with tapes 15 and 16, and the juncture 14 between the sections. The support more locally given by the strap 12 to the top of the cup frame, preferably is distributed by way of two terminals 28 and 29 attached to the tapes 1'7 and 2%. Below, tension is transmitted from strap 13 through tape 17 to its juncture at 25 with tape 23, and at the bottom and at generally corresponding spacing, tension is transmitted from the back strap through tape 18 in tangential relation to the base of the connected U- shaped tape 23. Then at the inside, resistance to the tension imposed by the shoulder and back straps is imposed at the spaced interconnections of tape 22 with the central spaced extents of the tapes 2t and 21.

Referring to FIG. 3, each cup has a centrally apertured, fabric lining 30 peripherally sewed to the tapes 17, 2t and 23. Secured to the inside of the lining and in registration with tape 23 is an elastic tape 31 containing rubber threads so woven as to be exposed as in the nature of surface stitching, at 3 2 at the inside of the cup. The exposed threads of the elastomer present a soft gripping surface acting to stabilize and assure proper positioning of the cup. Preferably, the tape 31 is sewed at 33 to tape 23 only at the outside, leaving the major width free toward the inside of the cup. As illustrated, the cup assembly is completed by one or more layers of cupped fabric 34 sewed to the outsides of the tapes 15, 16 and 23 throughout their extents, the fabric also being sewed to the center tape 22.

I claim:

1. A brassiere comprising a single longitudinally tensionable back strap, a pair of sections interconnected at the front of the brassiere and each peripherally defined by independently tensionable upper and lower tapes extending respectively from the top and bottom of each section outwardly to converged terminm connections with said strap and extending inwardly to a central juncture of said sections, a cup within each section peripherally defined at the top by said upper tape and at the bottom by a generally U-shaped tape connected at its upper'ends to said upper tape, said lower tape extending continuously from said terminal connections longitudinally along the bottom of said U-shaped tape and in direct connection therewith to said central juncture so that in the: worn condition of the brassiere the cup periphery defined by said U-shaped tape is supported from said single back strap at the bottom and upper ends of the U-shaped tape by the forces transmitted individually by said upper and lower tapes from the tensioned back strap, fabric cupped to occupy the cup areas and attached to said U-shaped tapes, and shoulder straps extending from the tops of said cups to said back strap.

2. A hrassiere according to claim 1, each of said U- shaped tapes including curved bottom extents, in which said lower tapes directly overlap the curved bottom extents of said U-shaped tapes.

3. A brassiere according to claim 1, in which said lower tapes are sections of a longitudinal non-elastic tape extending continuously between terminal connections with said back strap.

4. A brassiere according to claim 1, in which said upper and lower tapes have terminal extents in merging angular relation and are sewn to the back strap along said extents.

S. A brassiere according to claim 1, in which said U- shaped tape is lined with a fabric tape having exposed body-contacting elastic threads.

6. A brassiere according to claim 1, in which each cup is lined with open center fabric attached to the cup-defining tapes, and the lining in turn is lined with relatively narrow U-shaped fabric tape having exposed body-contacting elastic threads in registry with said U-shaped tape.

7. A brassiere according to claim 5, including also a tape within the juncture of said sections between said U-shaped tapes and terminally connected to spaced-apart extents of said upper and lower tapes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,180,391 Blair Nov. 21, 1939 2,570,352 La Roe et a1. Oct. 9, 1951 2,786,206 Steiner Mar. 26, 1957 2,890,702 I Fan'no June 16, 1959 2,912,985 Plehn Nov. 17, 1959 

